Coördinating actuating means for magnetos and igniters of internal-combustion engines.



T. c. MEN GES. CO D RDINA' HNG ACTUATING MEANS FOR MAGNETOS AND IGNITERS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES.

' APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2?. 1913.

1,155,500. 7 Patented Oct. 5,1915.

- iinrn s'rars PATENT-F1E THEODORE C. MENGES, OF WATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO ASSOCIATED MANUFAC- TURERS CO MPANY, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

CO6RDINATING ACTUATING MEANSFOR MAGNETOS AND IGNITERS OF INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed October 27, 1913. Serial no; 797,617.

the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin internal-combustion engines, and it is my objectin my improvement to coiirdinate the actions of the igniter and the magneto-electric machine in cotiperation therewith, to cause themto be simultaneously actuated to obtain the'best results in ignition.

This object I have accomplished by the mechanism which is hereinafter described and claimed, and which is. illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internalcombustion engine equipped with my improved coordinating actuating means for the 'igniter and the magneto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the igniter with cooperating actuating parts, parts being broken away and other parts being shown in llOllzontalsection. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the parts shown in said Fig. 2, with parts broken away.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring first to'said Fig. 1, an internalcombustion engine-cylinder 25 is supported on an engine-base 31 to project to one end thereof. Said engine in the usual way rotates a crank-shaft 29.having thereon a fixed pinion 30 in meshwith a larger gear-wheel 27 on a fixed stub-shaft 28. Integral with or fixedly connected to said wheel 27 by a common hub rotatable on said shaft 28, is a cam-wheel 32 operatively contacting a camroller 26, both'said latter parts and 26 being indicated only by dotted lines, and'the said roller being pivoted on the right-hand end of a reciprocatory horizontal bar 19 said cylinder and its base.-

The numeral 24 denotes a magneto-electrical machine mounted upon said cylinder and having its operating shaft 23 provided Lwith an adjustable rack-segment 22 on its outer end.

Specification of Letters Patent.

guide-brackets on Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

Referring to said Figs. 2 and 3, the cylinder combustion-chamber wall 4 has an opening 20 covered by a plate 5 having two orifices through which extend respectively a fixed electrode 1 and a movable or rock-elec: trode 3, the latter having on its end within the combustion-chamber a pin 2 adapted to rock therewith into electrical contact with the fixed contact 1. The outer end of the fixed contact is placed in electrical circuit with said magneto 24 by means of a conductor 8 leading from the magneto to a binding post 7 on a conducting-arm 6 fixed on said fixed contact outside the combustion-chamber. On the outwardly-projecting part 12 of said movable contact is journaled a rigidly-connected rack-segment 11 and tripfinger 10, the rack-segment being meshed withthe other rack-segment 22. Adjustably.

secured on the part 12 is a body'having spaced members 9, said members being adjustably connected by means of a screw 21, to permit thebody to be adjusted on said part 12 to vary the tension of the spring 13 and the length of time of contact between the electrodes 1 and 2. Said body has an integral projection, and the trip-finger has an overhanging part which moves therewith, and is limited in its movement to the right by said projection. The torsion-spring 13 isconnected between the pin 15 on the outer .end of the part 12 and the connected segment 11 andjtrip-finger 10 and tends to yieldingly retain said trip-finger in contact with the projection on said body. A spring 34 is connected between the bar 19 and the lowermost member 9 to exercise yielding traction on the latter toward the right and aid the other spring 13 in moving the trip-finger 10 to the right suddenly when the latter is displaced to the left and released. The spring 34 being connected to the bar 19, it

will be seen that when the end of the rocking tension which causes it to exercise a stronger pull upon the member 9. A tension-spring 33 is yieldingly-connected between the bar 19 and the engine base, and

thus acts to retain the roller 26 in operative contact with the cam-wheel 32. j

4 The rock-arm 17 is pivoted on the bar 19 at ,18,'and rides upon arpin 16 to rock upwardlyi as the bar 19 moves to the left, and a spririg 35 retains the arm in operative contact with said pin 16. As the cam-wheel acts to shift the bar 19 to the left and thus rocks up the arm 17, the end of the latter which is engaged with' the trip-finger 10 rocks the latter away from the projection on said fixed'body.v 9 to the. left against thetensions combined of both springs 13 and 34 and in moving to the left the'trip-finger Q draws in the same direction the'movable conable electrodes.

tact part 12 and the rack-segment 11, both moving relatively slowly until the contact is established between said fixed and mov- The arm 17 continues to. move to the left and rock upwardly until its end slips off from said trip-finger. The combined tensions of the said springs now act to return said trip-finger to the right to strike said projecting-body 9 andbreak contact of the electrodes, it'b'eing understood that the reaction of the 'springs'pr'oducesa very rapid return of the parts to suddenly and rapidly shift or rock back the rack-segment 11 which acts likewise upon the other rack-segment 22 to actuate the magneto suddenly to generate a sudden high-tension current at the time that the contact between-the electrodes is broken, to

obtain a strong igniting-spark therebetween.

I At other times the'slow motion of the parts acts upon the magneto to produce only a negligible current, therefore my said device isada pted to create a strong and instantaneone current at the exact time of ignition. The cam-wheel permits the return of the bar 19 to the right under the tension of the spring 33 when the bar has arrived at its limit of movement to the left, and the end of the rock-arm 17 rocks down until it drops down-past the trip-finger, with which it contacts on its return thrust to the left as before.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an internal-combustion engine, a fixed and a movable electrode, said electrodes being in electrical circuit with a magneto-electric machine, a trip finger journaled on said movable electrode, an abutment secured on said movable electrode, said abutment being interposed in the path of move.- ment of said trip-finger, a yieldable torsion-spring coiled about said moyable' electrode, connected to the-outer end and also connected to said trip-finger to yieldingly draw it into contact with said abutment, operative connections between said tripfinger and the driving-shaft of said magneto-electric machine, a yieldable resilient means connected to said abutment adapted to rock said movable electrode aw'ay' from said fixed electrode, means for increasing the tension of the latter resilient means while said trip-finger and movable electrode are being rocked toward said fixed electrode,

and means foractuating said magneto-elec-' trio machine suddenly and rapidly while the contact is being brokenbetween said elec' trodes, comprising means for pushing'oven said trip-finger to rock said movable electrode in to contact with the fixed electrode and then suddenly release them to permit said resilient means to react to break contact between the electrodes'while in so returning the operative connections with said magneto-electric machine rapidly actuatefthe latter to create a high-tension current insalid circuit.

2. In an internalrcombustion engine, a.

fixed and a movable electrode, said-electrodes being in electrical circuit with a mag neto-electric machine, a fixedly-connected trip-finger and a rack-segment journaled on said movable electrode outside fife-eng ne, a rack-segment on the driving-shaft of. the

magneto-electric machine in meshwith the first-mentionhd rack-segment, a torsionspring coiled about the outer part of said movable electrode, connected at one end thereto and at the other end to said fixedlyconnected rack-segment and trip-finger, and

adapted to draw said trip-finger away-from said fixed electrode, an adjustable body secured on said movable electrode and having oppositely-directed parts, of which one part is interposed in the path of movement of said trip-finger away from the fixed electrode, a reciprocatory-bar, atension-spring connected between the other part of said body and said bar and adapted to draw upon said body to yieldingly rock the movable electrode away from said fixed electrode and to be placed under an increased tension as said reciprocatory bar is moving in one direction to increase the tension upon said movable electrode, and a rock-arm pivoted on said reciprocatory bar having its? free end adapted to move therewith and rock suitably 'lzo first engage and, rock over said trip-finger to rock the movable elec trode into contact with the fixed electrode, 

